Workshops are available for ROLE Alliance Program members

n order to extend the use and develop the project, ROLE ‘s team consists of strategic users, vendors and other stakeholders formed by its Alliance Program. Anyone can contribute to the program by submitting their ideas on how personal learning environments can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of lifelong learning approaches. To learn more about ROLE, make sure you read our article on Exploring The Responsive Open Learning Environment (ROLE).

Any member of the Alliance Program enjoys early access to the project’s core content. By gaining author rights, a member may contribute to the project, having extended rights in using ROLE’s Showcase Platform and features. Specific ROLE workshops are available for free to any member as well as the possibility to get in contact with the ROLE Consortium. An Alliance Partner Meeting is organized each year and holds workshops, conferences and events related to the topic of Personal Learning Environment. We will next discuss the benefits of users, software and researchers of becoming ROLE Alliance Program members.

1. User’s Benefits

When referring to users, we include students, lifelong learners, workplace learners, teachers, institutions such as colleges or universities as well as enterprises that are willing to enhance their employees’ knowledge through virtual learning organizations. Here is an overview of the benefits one user can get:

• Leave comments on the ROLE platform
• Use ROLE platforms to create his own Personal Learning Environment
• Having his software updated regularly
• Receive Newsletter from ROLE
• Make his learning and teaching more efficient through the use of ROLE software
• Get information on project deliverables and white papers earlier

2. Software Developer’s Benefits

Software developers enjoy their own list of benefits such as:

• Using ROLE’s source codes and developer documentation
• Getting author rights on the Showcase Platform
• Participate on developer workshops known as Developer Camps
• Participate on developer competitions known as Widget Enchantments
• Distribute their software through the ROLE Widget Store
• Be in touch with his ROLE Partners for support
• Contribute to the ROLE framework by developing and providing their own tools, services and resources.

3. Researcher’s Benefits

By being a member of the ROLE Alliance Program, researchers may expand their research field in the following directions:

• Psycho-pedagogical sound framework
• New engineering methodologies
• New evaluation methodologies
• Tools and resources
• Individual composition of accessible learning services

Researchers also enjoy the ability to use ROLE results and scientific publications as well as an early access to the project’s documentation, benefits from research cooperation and may participate in the project’s extension to a wide range of communities and markets.

4. ROLE’s Widget Competition

There have, so far, been five Widget Enchantment Competitions. The goal was to bring together the best ideas from both the software developer and the users in order to support Technology Enhanced Learning with a wide range of creative and innovative widgets. The competitions’ purpose was to customize the Personal Responsive Open Learning Environments with the contribution of learners, researchers, software developers and others. It is conducted in two rounds.

In the first round, known as the Widget Specification Competition participants would apply by sending their widgets specifications. They had to include a description, a picture (or screenshot), information about its use and a prototype. They would win by satisfying the following criteria:

• Add value to a specific of general learning scenario
• Based on ROLE technology
• Supports OpenSocial Gadget or W3C specifications

In the second round, known as the Widget Development Competition, winners of the first round would develop their widget within the two months deadline. Participants are given support by a ROLE Partner and are encouraged to use ROLE Technology and to be creative when it comes to exploring approaches for realizing their goals. Winners would enjoy a prize of 500 euros once they have contributed to the Widget Store    

5. Become A Member

If you are interested in becoming a member of ROLE’s Alliance Program, you may sign up at the registration page. To get more information, you may visit ROLE’s official website and YouTube channel on the links bellow:

Official Webpage: www.role-project.eu
YouTube Channel : ROLEProject